Thirst-Day – How to make a perfect Stinger cocktail

A Stinger is a “duo” cocktail – a type of alcoholic beverage that combines hard liquor and crème de menthe.

History of the Stinger cocktail

The traditional Stinger recipe uses brandy and white crème de menthe, shaken and served in a cocktail glass. Its origins are unclear, but the Stinger is mentioned in recipe books as far back as Tom Bullock’s The Ideal Bartender, which was published in 1917.

During the peak of the drink’s popularity, it was said to be the perfect “nightcap” for a night out in New York.

Here are some of the cocktail’s notable mentions:

Dudley, an angel (played by Cary Grant), orders a round of Stingers while lunching with ladies in the 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife.

In the 1956 Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra film High Society, Gordon Richards serves the drink as a “hair of the dog”.

James Bond and Tiffany Case each have the cocktail in the 1956 novel Diamonds are Forever.

In the 1961 novel Thunderball, James Bond and his friend Felix Leiter drink the beverage while waiting at the casino.